Nash, 39, has missed eight straight games with a sore right hamstring, and 32 overall. He’s averaging 12.7 points and 6.7 assists with a 16.0 Player Efficiency Rating in his 17th season.

What the Lakers can expect from Nash remains to be seen. They went 7-1 during his most recent absence, and are only 26-24 when he plays. The Lakers’ net rating — the difference in points scored and allowed per 100 possessions — declined by a point when he was on the court.

Nash remains a deadly shooter, however, hitting at 43.8 percent on 3-pointers and 49.7 percent overall. Simply contributing playing time will be warmly welcomed by a backcourt that was severely depleted by Kobe Bryant’s recent season-ending injury.

“Obviously he’s not going to play a lot of minutes,” head coach Mike D’Antoni was quoted by the L.A. Daily News. “Whatever he can give us will be great. We’ll play it by ear. As the series goes on, he should get stronger.”